My New Obligation
by Puppyscruffy1
Summary: JD is having a hard time getting to work after Ronald's older brother kicks his ass. A Beagle puppy seems to be having an even worse day. What happens when JD takes this injured pooch to a nearby clinic when he's supposed to be at work? T for mild languag
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes:**

I recently REALLY got into Scrubs despite the fact that I've been watching it for quite a while. I think it really started a while ago when I got struck with a pretty bad art block just when I decided I wanted to give drawing J.D. a shot. I watched the show religiously, trying to sketch a decent picture of J.D. Oh well. Needless to say it hasn't worked so far. It's okay though, since the writing bug bit me! Hope ya'll enjoy!

I'd really appreciate some feedback, since I wrote this with no real plan of what was going to happen next. Gimme a review, or send me a message of what YOU want to see happen next. (Or hey, just tell me what you think of the story. Give me advice on what you think I could improve on!)

* * *

_So normally when my scooter Sasha is in the shop, I get a ride with Turk, or steal Ronald's pocket bike. Since Turk's shift started about two hours earlier than mine, I was currently riding wild and free with my knees practically under my chin._

"Hey!"

_Oh crap. Ronald's older brother Heath. _

Heath accelerated on his dirt bike so he was right beside J.D.

_Crapcrapcrap. C'mon I'm almost to the road! I can't get my ass kicked by a twelve year old! … Again._

Heath's leg shot out, colliding with J.D.'s shoulder. J.D. yelled as the pocket bike started wobbling beneath him. The twelve year old gave him a final kick, sending J.D. into the bushes.

"Ow."

* * *

_So I got my ass kicked this morning, leaving me to walk nine blocks to the nearest bus stop. Though, since it started raining about five seconds after pulling the last leaf out of my hair I started thinking that it might be better to just go home, and call in sick._

**"Aww, Betsy, did you just get done peeing on a pregnancy test, only to find out that yes, yes that one night you drank a whole two and a half appletinis and woke up next to that studly guy who **_**swears**_** he used protection, that he in fact did NOT, forcing you to spend all day crying over the phone for him to take responsibility?"**

_Maybe not._

J.D. saw the bus ahead, and groaned as the doors shut after the last passenger. He took off sprinting, yelling and waving his arms.

"Wait! Wait!" The bus driver took off, leaving J.D. a big cloud of exhaust for him to cough in. "Damn you." He flopped dejectedly on the nearby bench.

_Well, at least this bench is covered, so maybe I can stay dry while I wait for the next bus to come._

It was at that moment, a rather big gust of wind knocked the steel cover over like a popsicle stick bird house. J.D. was about to shout something obscene, when he heard a small yelp from behind him. He looked over his shoulder, were the cover had fallen into some grass and brush. Something out of sight was whimpering. Compassion overflowed J.D.'s heart, and he began worrying that some little critter had gotten smushed when the bench cover blew over. He quickly got up, and went to investigate.

_What I saw when I made my way into the muddy, rain soaked grass had to be one of the saddest things I'd even seen in my life, despite working in a hospital where it wasn't uncommon at all to watch a patient die. _

A tiny beagle puppy looked up at J.D. whining, and licking the spot where her right leg and tail were caught under the metal. J.D. wiped the water trail down his face away, and dropped to his knees, shoving his fingers under the sharp metal. The puppy whined, and wriggled fearfully.

"Shh! Hey buddy, you just hold on. Don't you even worry a bit. Uncle J.D. is gonna-," He grunted, and struggled to lift the heavy metal. He kept slipping in the slick grass, and couldn't grip with his palms. "Gonna… get…you out!" The metal cover raised a bit, boosting his confidence. He hissed as the metal dug into the soft flesh of his fingers.

_I hope Dr. Cox never realizes I use Carla's hand lotion._

With a final gasp, he managed to lift it up far enough to stick his knee under to hold it up, and quickly pull the pained little dog out from under the metal. She yelped, and whined from the pain of being pulled around so hastily.

"I've got ya, I've got ya…" He whispered, working his own leg out while he inspected the damage on the yelping pup. Her leg was bleeding, as was her tail from where the metal had fallen on her. Not that he knew too much on caring for animals, his years in med school definately told him, this was NOT good.

The cover made a splashing sound when J.D. finally got himself free of it. He panted, and held the puppy to his chest. She was whining softly, cuddling close to her savior.

_I had to admit, this little puppy was a fighter! That metal was definitely as heavy as it looked. I didn't even mind that she was bleeding all over me. I was pretty used to it anyways. I just wished there had been some hot girls around to see my act of heroism._

J.D. looked down when the puppy licked his chin, as if trying to express her gratitude. He smiled down at her, and rubbed her tiny head with his thumb.

"Don't you worry. I'll take good care of you." He promised, getting to his feet carefully. Trying not to jostle her too much, J.D. slipped the puppy into his jacket, and zipped it halfway up to make a little pocket for her.

_It took a minute of indecision before I decided to just walk the extra block up to the animal clinic rather than hail a taxi. I thought the driver would see my blood soaked scrubs, and think I was some psycho. Funnily enough, everyone I passed seemed to give me the same look I had imagined would be on the taxi driver's face._

J.D. walked up to the door with a dog and a cat snuggling with a big heart surrounding them. The little bell jingled when he walked in. The female receptionist looked alarmed at the sight of him, but seemed to relax a bit when the beagle poked her snout out of the jacket, sniffing the animal scented air curiously.

"Can I help you?" She asked, looking at his bulging belly. J.D. nodded breathlessly.

"Yeah, this puppy," He pointed. "She got caught under the cover of the bus stop when it fell over. I'm fairly sure her leg is broken, and she's bleeding a lot. Her tail too."

The blonde girl yelled back into the window at someone named 'Ellen', and hurriedly ushered J.D. into one of the rooms. It smelled like disinfectant, which reminded him of Sacred Heart and made his stomach twist. He was late. VERY late. So late, that he was sure Dr. Cox wasn't the only one who'd be ranting at him when he managed to get to the hospital.

"Listen," The girl was cradling the puppy, trying to gently put her on the table. "How long do you think this is going to take? I'm unimaginably late." The girl's eyes seemed to register that he too was wearing scrubs.

"Where do you work?" She asked, dabbing at the dog's bleeding leg and tail.

"Sacred Heart." J.D. jiggled his leg impatiently.

"Ah, I see. ELLEN!" She roared. A woman came in, red hair twisted up into a sloppy bun, held in place with a fountain pen.

"Yesyesyes, I'm sorry. Mr. Peterson's horse just tried to kick me again." She dusted off her white lab coat, and took in the appearance of the beagle. She cooed over her, telling her all manner of baby talk. Her assistant cleared her throat. The doctor looked at the blonde, who nodded at J.D. She blinked, not seeming to have even noticed him before. "Hello, I'm Doctor Sanders." She grinned brilliantly, holding out her gloved hand.

"Uh, I'm J.D. and I wouldn't suggest we shake hands." He showed her his blood covered hands. She blinked absent-mindedly, and nodded.

"Right, right I'm sorry, of course!" She laughed. "Now what seems to have happened to little…?"

"Oh, she doesn't have a name," J.D. said, looking down at his little damsel in distress. "I just found her." Dr. Sanders' face fell hard.

"Another one to the pound then I suppose, huh Jamie?" She addressed her assistant. The blonde girl remained silent, her only response being a harsh grimace, and a gentle pat to the puppy's head.

"I-I didn't mean…" J.D. stammered. "I don't mind keeping her." Both veterinarians looked up with shocked expressions.

"Wow." Jamie blinked.

"We hardly ever have folks come in here who're willing to keep the animal they found." Dr. Sanders exclaimed. "How wonderful!" She laughed.

"Ellen, this guy works at the hospital. He's really late." Jamie pulled her gloves off, and reached for a set of keys up on a hook.

"Oh yes, go on ahead and drive him there would you?" The doctor went on, fussing over the injured dog without looking up.

"Righto, be back in a bit." Jamie beckoned J.D. with her finger. "Come on, the truck's around back."

_As we passed the kennels, I noticed that about three of them actually contained animals. Instead of sad, dejected faces, they all barked and meowed happily at the sight of us. Jamie smiled for the first time, and waved at them as she passed._

"Where are all the animals at?" I asked as I hopped in the passenger seat of the truck that had the same cat and dog logo at the door. She tossed a white towel she'd grabbed from the back seat at me and started the truck.

"Most of the animals we treat only spend a day or so here. The ones you saw are waiting for their owners to pick them up. I'm pretty sure Ellen's husband, George, is getting the two Great Danes we have some exercise. That's all he can handle at one time." She explained. J.D. nodded, wiping his hands absently.

**Suddenly there was a huge rainbow colored circus tent filled with a cheering audience. In the middle ring, a buff, shirtless man with an outrageously large handlebar mustache was making Great Danes that had lion manes jump through flaming hoops.**

**The crowd cheered as he stuck his head in both of the dog's mouths. The man laughed and waved triumphantly, until on of the dog's mouths closed over his head. The crowd screamed, and hid their eyes, while the Dog Tamer tried to pry his way out of the huge dog.**

"Hey! J.D.!"

"Huh?" J.D. looked over at a rather annoyed looking Jamie.

"We're at the hospital. Here's the number to the clinic, call us when your shift ends and we'll fill you in." She gave him a slip of paper. J.D. dropped the towel, and hurriedly attempted to unbuckle himself and throw the door open. He was over an hour late! He's ass was grass!

**Dr. Cox's head was now glued on top of a John Deer lawn mower, laughing manically as he began mowing over J.D.'s grass covered butt.**

Jamie reached over, and pushed the button that released J.D. from his harness and sent him tumbling to the concrete.

"Thanks a lot! I'll call if I'm not dead!" He yelled, slamming the door shut and sprinting into the hospital's doors.

Jamie blinked, and shook her head. 'This guy is worse than Ellen,' she thought, giving a small snort as she turned out onto the road.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes:**

I noticed after combing through the last chapter that there were a lot of spots that needed working on. I tried to fix them as soon as I found 'em, but I couldn't change anything too radically since I'd already submitted it, and a few people read it (I really appreaciate those reviews ;)). That's when I decided it was probably a good idea to comb through the story _before _I submit.

Basically, I just wanted you to know this chapter will probably be better than the last :D Tell me what you think! I still don't have much of a plan for this, so shoot some ideas at me, or just tell me what you'd like.

(One particular reviewer mentioned it'd be cute to see how the pup interacted with Rowdy. I thought it'd be adorable, so look out!)

* * *

_I felt like James Bond as I attempted to sneak into the hospital. No one really seemed to give me a second glance though. All I had to do was snatch a few charts, get to work and pretend I've been here the ENTIRE time! It was a foolproof plan created by a mastermind (i.e. me). Of course, I'll have to make sure I avoid Carla and- OHCRAPIT'SDR.COX!!_

J.D. dove behind a patient in a wheelchair, putting a hand up to cover his face. The patient gave him a funny look before recognizing him as the person Dr. Cox had mentioned he shouldn't speak to.

J.D.'s heart thumped loudly, and he tried to breathe as quietly as possible. He would melt into his surroundings, becoming completely invisible.

**J.D. stood up and away from behind the wheelchair patient, looking on bravely as Dr. Cox snorted steam. Just as he charged, J.D. disappeared. Dr. Cox looked around wildly.**

"**I know you're still here Newbie!" He roared. Suddenly, he was thrown forward. J.D. reappeared behind him, pointing and laughing at the footprint on Perry's butt.**

J.D. came back to reality. No way was he gonna get caught now, especially since he'd had his pager off most of the morning. No telling how many times he'd been paged.

_C'mon Perry, walk on by and don't notice me. I'm not about to get caught when I'm three yards away from the nurse's station. Not a chance. C'mon c'mon c'mon!_

J.D. groaned when he heard the shrill whistle.

"Newbie! Where the hell have you been?! Did you _actually_ shove your pager up your ass, or do you have a stupider excuse for why you haven't responded to _any_ of my calls?"

_Maybe he's talking to some else…_

"Okay, Janet, GET. OVER. HERE."

_I figured._

J.D. popped up with an enthusiastic expression, and an award winning smile. "Dr. Cox! There you are! You know, I have been looking for you _everywhere!_ Thank goodness I found-"

"Yeah, enough of that. What's with the blood? I know you've been playing hooky, so it must be that time of the month again." J.D. frowned.

"No, actually, I rescued a puppy this morning." Dr. Cox snorted, and walked off, waving J.D. over. "It's true Dr. Cox! I was trying to catch the bus when that metal cover at the bus stop blew over, and caught this tiny little beagle puppy under it."

"Nice story Janice. So what'd you do? Lift the heavy steel with you girlish little arms? Not a smooth move, you could've broken a nail. And seeing as I have to pay for Jordan's mani-pedi every damned week, I know just how much it costs to get a good one." The older man gave J.D. a bitter look.

Before J.D. had a chance to respond, a very angry looking Carla came storming up with charts in one arm, the other one pointing angrily at J.D.

_Oh hell._

"Bambi! Where have you been? Everyone has been asking all morning where you were, and I had to pull some stupid excuse out of my ass every single time! Here, Mr. Hendricks on the fourth floor looks about ready to be released, I just need you to sign his form." She shoved the chart into J.D.'s chest before continuing.

"Ms. Landry coded this morning, and we still can't figure out why. We took care of it as best as we could, and she's fine right now but, you'll still need to go up and check on her.

"Timothy in room 408 still hasn't woken up, but his family is complaining, and they want to talk to you about what's happening to their son. I suggest you take care of it quickly, because they won't even let us schedule him for a gastric peg surgery. It's not incredibly urgent, but you do need to take care of it before the poor boy has to deal with malnutrition."

Carla looked up at J.D.'s stunned face, and began tapping her foot.

_I wanted to say something to her. Maybe I should've just apologized, and gotten to work but I wasn't sure if her silence was a sign that she was done talking and wanted me to respond, or if she was just pausing so she could yell at me the minute I try talking and accuse me of interrupting her. I definitely didn't want to give her another reason to be mad at me, since it was pretty obvious she'd been running around making sure I was covered, so I had to think about my next move._

"Bambi! Say something would you?" She snapped. J.D. looked over to Dr. Cox, who was smirking, and seemed to be enjoying the show.

"Go on Newbie, talk to the nice lady."

_Some help you are._

"I, uh…" He looked down at the pink release form, figuring that he should start with that first. He held his hand out. "I need a pen?"

_Despite my extremely smooth reply, I didn't get the angry Spanish I was expecting to spew rapidly out of Carla's mouth. In fact, her eyebrows shot up, and she stared at my hand. I took it as a bad sign, like she was so shocked at my request, that she was speechless for a moment._

"Oh Bambi what happened to your hand?!" She shoved the charts she was holding into Dr. Cox's arms, and snatched J.D.'s hand, wrenching it palm up so she could see the damage.

_Huh? That wasn't the reaction I was expecting._

"Hey, Carla-," Dr. Cox started griping.

"Hush Perry." She snapped. He bit back a nasty comment, deciding to investigate his Newbie's hand as well. J.D. took the opportunity to look too.

_Wow, I hadn't really noticed that my hands were still bleeding. I guess that pain in my fingers was worse than I realized since it turned out the metal had cut through my skin. I couldn't see for the mess, but they didn't seem too awful._

"How did you do this?" Carla asked full of motherly concern. J.D. shrugged like her imagined a kid would, trying to pull as much maternal love out of her as possible. On the inside though, he was cheering himself for being able to tell his story to someone who'd pride him on his heroism, and worry over his 'battle scars'.

**Mighty J.D. was clad in skimpy Spartan wear outside the hospital. He had an army of nurses behind him. Facing him was Dr. Cox, wearing basically the same thing, except his helmet was much shinier. Why was it so shiny? I want mine to be shiny!!**

**Mighty J.D. stood before Dr. Cox and his army of interns, wearing a helmet that had all manner of gems gleaming on it, and a huge, red, feathery top. He smiled, flashing his new grill.**

**Dr. Cox glared enviously.**

"**THIS. IS. NURSE STATION!!" J.D. roared, the nurses behind him screamed and shook their spears.**

**The two armies yelled, and ran toward each other. Just as they were about to clash, a huge, yellow-**

Carla cleared her throat, still looking him intently.

"Well, since Sasha's in the shop, I had to ride the bus the morning. I was okay with that though, even though the rain was freezing, and the walk was long and tiresome," He started his dramatic storytelling voice. "When I finally arrived, I sat on the bench with the metal cover over it. Just then! A HUGE gust of wind knocked it _right_ over. I wasn't worried of course, until I heard a tiny, little cry for help. I ran over to see what had happened. And there, in the mud and grime was a poor, defenseless puppy fighting for her life!"

"Oh puh_-hu-le-hease_. Carla, you aren't _actually_ buying into his load of crap story are you?" Dr. Cox scoffed. Carla waved a hand at him to be quiet.

"Shush," She said. With a look of complete captivation, she looked back up to J.D. "Go on baby. Tell me what happened next?"

"Well," J.D. looked over to Dr. Cox who was looking ready to wring someone's neck, namely his. "Then I pulled the metal up, got the puppy, and took her to an animal clinic. I'm gonna go pick her up after my shift."

"Well that's gonna take a while Bertha, since you have a lot of making up to do." Dr. Cox glared at J.D. Carla realized Dr. Cox was getting serious, so she dropped J.D.'s hand, and patted his cheek.

"Let me clean his hands up first, and I'll put him straight to work." Carla promised. Dr. Cox shook his head, and his finger.

"No, you go check the stats for Ms. Landry. I'll take care of Barbara, and we'll be there in just a minute." He whistled, and walked off. "Newbie, come." J.D. hopped off after his mentor, while Carla went to wash her hands, and head off to check up on their patient.

J.D. followed Dr. Cox over one of the many sinks. The red haired man pulled a small box off a shelf and pulled out some gauze, medical tape, and alcohol.

_I groaned, because I knew what was coming. That stinging pain. I always hated when my mom deemed one of my injuries, usually received at my brother's hand, was bad enough to need the disinfectant spray, and not just a bit of Neosporin. She wasn't very good at convincing me it was worth it. _

Without a word, Perry grabbed J.D.'s left hand, and put it under the running water. It was cool, and it felt strangely refreshing on his throbbing fingers.

J.D. bit his lip as his mentor soaked a cotton ball with the alcohol. He refused to complain though. He definitely didn't need Dr. Cox ranting at him over a little stinging.

"Yeeeeoooooow!" J.D. yelped, trying to jerk his hand away.

"Oh come on Newbie. It's not _that_ bad." Perry snorted. J.D. looked from Dr. Cox's eyes, down at his sterile fingers.

"It stings." That was all he could thing to say as Dr. Cox pressed the gauze on each finger, and then taped it in place.

"Well it'll do that Newbie. That's why I suggest you stop slathering Carla's lotion on your petite little hands."

"How did you know?!" J.D. exclaimed as his other hand went under the cold water. Perry stared at the brunette doctor, not sure if he should be surprised or not. Neither knew what to say for a moment. J.D. cleared his throat and rubbed his cheek on his shoulder. "You- uh, you didn't know." He swallowed.

"You, uh, you disappoint me." Dr. Cox said sarcastically, and shook his head as swabbed J.D.'s right hand. The younger doctor stifled a complaint. Perry repeated the process, pressing and taping gauze on the fingers of his protégé. "There, we're done with that. Follow me." J.D. obeyed, looking at his fingers with a smiling face now that they weren't hurting so badly.

"They're like marshmallows." He chuckled.

**J.D., Turk, Carla, and Elliot were all gathered around a campfire. Everyone but J.D. looked bored and dejected. J.D. was laughing, and singing a campfire song.**

"**Come on guys, sing with me!" His clapping made a 'puff' noise, because his fingers were just big marshmallows. Elliot seemed to have fallen asleep, and was drooling. Carla stared at the long string of spit as it made its way closer and closer to the dirt.**

"**Man, this is no fun," Turk complained, kicking the ground. "You can't have fun camping when you don't roast marshmallows!" J.D. gasped, a looked of hurt etched on his face.**

"**Turk! I thought we talked about this before we left!" J.D. stood up angrily, and stomped off. "It's SO over!" He yelled before sobbing.**

"**J.D.!"**

"Camping really isn't that fun without roasting marshmallows," J.D. said dreamily. A sudden snapping in his face brought him back.

"Earth to Newbie! Roll you sleeve up would you?" J.D. blinked, and realized Dr. Cox was holding a syringe. He backed up, alarmed.

"What the hell is that for?!" He yelled. Dr. Cox growled.

"Tetanus. Now roll your sleeve up. We don't have all day." He gestured to J.D.'s left arm, and whistled.

"Fine." He said, still skeptical. It could be a syringe full of acid for all he knew.

He pulled his sleeve up as far as possible, and tried not to watch as Dr. Cox swabbed his upper arm, and stabbed the needle into his flesh roughly. J.D. managed to stay quiet, knowing his mentor was being rough on purpose.

_Don't let him know it bothers you!_

"Why do you have to be so rough?" He grumbled, picking out a Transformers band aid to stick over the tiny drop of blood on his arm.

"Maybe I'm in a rush, and I don't really care if it hurts a little. Grow a pair would ya? Let's go." With that, J.D. followed Dr. Cox, hurriedly tugging his sleeve down.

* * *

"Hello, Furry Friends Clinic. This is Jamie speaking, how may I help you?" The blonde receptionist/veterinary assistant asked a bit too cheerfully. She hated how fake her cheery, phone answering voice sounded, but Ellen insisted she sound as welcoming as possible when answering phones.

"Hi Jamie. This is J.D., the guy who brought in that puppy this morning?" He twirled the pay phone's cord.

"Oh, you. Is your shift over?" She asked, dropping the fake happy voice, settling for her normal, indifferent voice.

"No, I'm actually gonna be here another four hours. I'm on break though, and wanted to know how she's doing." Jamie smiled a bit, and spun in her chair. She didn't have much good news, but she was glad this guy seemed to care about the dog.

"Well, Ellen has taken to calling her Speckle, though the name is ultimately up to you." Jamie gave a single little laugh. "She gets attached to the animals real quick, so it always breaks her heart when they have to go home. I've told her time, and time again to follow my example, and just treat the animal so we can send it on it's merry way."

Even as she told him this, J.D. remembered the way she had smiled, and waved at the animals just that morning, and how tenderly she's petted the pup. He didn't buy her story. In fact, he was pretty sure that both of the women's hearts were smashed when saying goodbye to one of their patients.

"Well I don't mind. I still haven't thought of a good name anyways." He cleared his throat. "So, what's happening right now?" He asked. Jamie sighed, and stopped spinning. His heart skipped a beat. He knew doctor lingo. A heavy sigh was NEVER good news.

"The metal pretty much smashed her leg up, so even if it had healed up properly, she'd have quit a bit of trouble walking."

"Damn." He muttered. "So then what happened?" Jamie bit her lip.

"We've been watching her all day. Ellen set her leg, and I stitched it up nice and pretty. She was looking real good, and was barking at one of our cats. Not to mention she was eating and drinking pretty well despite the sedatives we gave her for the pain.

"However it seems she already had a little cold before her leg got caught up under that metal. And what with it raining… Her wound got infected."

She didn't have to elaborate anymore than that. J.D. knew what it meant.

"Ellen and George are currently amputating her leg as we speak."

J.D.'s heart fell into his stomach. He wished he could just run out of the hospital and be there for his new pet, but that just wasn't possible. He felt bitter. What had the pup done to deserve this anyways? Pee on the wrong bushes? Geez.

"I'll call you when my shift is over." He said bleakly. He heard Jamie roll around on her chair.

"She'll be fine you know. George and Ellen are damned good doctors. You'd be amazed at how few animals have come in that the two of them couldn't save." J.D.'s lips turned up at the corners.

"I hope you're not pulling my leg."

_Bad choice of words._ Terrible_ choice of words._

"Don't worry, that's not my job."

They hung up, and J.D. leaned against the wall. He had less than an hour left of his break, and he was dead tired. He was physically and emotionally _drained_. The on call room beckoned him over, despite the fact he was sure he'd never get to sleep with all these thoughts and worries.

_Strange as it was, I kept wondering how long it would take for me to get to that clinic and back. I knew that the minute I arrived I would have to leave without even touching the door, but I couldn't get my mind off that tough little dog. _

_Apparently all the nurses and most of the doctors had been filled in on my daring rescue. Five nurses had already asked me out, which had definitely boosted my mood up until this moment. I didn't feel like going to any of them, and I didn't really want Carla telling me what I had to do. I wished I had Elliot to talk to._

"Hey Scooter," J.D. whipped around only to have the left side of his face smashed into a paper plate full of peanut butter.

"Jerk." He said before walking off, not bothering to pull the plate away. Janitor enjoyed his moment of victory, before slinking off when Scary Nurse glared at him.

* * *

**I admit, the ending left something to be desired, but I really couldn't think of anything else.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes:**

Hey guys! Thanks for the lovely reviews! I'm sorry to have to tell you that this chapter isn't quite as lighthearted. No silly daydreams, and not much inner monologue. But don't worry! Next chapter is gonna be full of fluffy, cutesy still galore!

(Much love to Bells of Tomorrow. She wrote a story about how Rowdy came into the loving care of J.D. and Turk. It's GREAT. It has inspired quite a few scenes to revolve around Rowdy and Speckle, and even some things from Speckle's point of view! Read her fic here: /s/4488558/1/HisNewDeadLife)

* * *

"Hey man, I heard about you saving that dog this morning." Turk leaned over the back of the couch so he could talk to his Vanilla Bear, who was lying down and looking a little drained. J.D. yawned and nodded.

"I even have proof." He wiggled his gauze covered fingers at Turk's face. His friend laughed, and gently poked at the white fluff.

"Man, you have marshmallow fingers," He snorted. J.D. beamed, and started to drift off into another fantasy. "Hey!"

J.D. snapped out of it before he had even been in it.

"What?" Turk hopped over the couch. J.D. pulled his feet towards him so they wouldn't get squashed by Turk's butt. Turk looked at J.D. very seriously.

"About the dog." Turk clasped his hands together, going into 'Surgical Consult Mode'. J.D.'s heart raced. Had Jamie called the hospital, gotten Carla who told Turk so he could tell J.D. that Speckle didn't make it?! "Are we gonna keep it?"

J.D. let out his breath. He had to stop getting worked up or he'd pass out. With Janitor around, that was never a good idea.

"Hell yeah we're keeping her!" J.D. punched the air. Turk also let his breath out, and grinned.

"Alright! That rocks dude." His grin slipped into a thoughtful expression. "What about Rowdy? He might get jealous if we bring another dog into the apartment." J.D. also turned thoughtful at this.

_I hadn't even considered how Rowdy would feel about us bringing Speckle home. I've heard about dogs getting jealous when an owner brings home a new puppy. On the one hand, he'd have someone to play with. On the other hand, he might feel like he's being replaced and run away. He did the same thing when Carla moved in._

"I guess we'll have to see." J.D. shrugged. Turk nodded solemnly.

"So when can we pick the pooch up?" He clapped his hands together, and rubbed them. J.D.'s face fell, and he stared at his hands. Turk put a hand on his best friend's knee. "J.D.?" The brunette sighed, and shrugged.

"I'm not sure. The girl who dropped me off this morning said the leg that got crushed under the cover was infected, so they had to amputate it." Turk's expression was stricken for a moment.

"Dude, that sucks." J.D. nodded. Turk glared at a few interns who were staring at them. They scattered, muttering about patients and supply closets.

"It's not even that I'm scared Speckle, that's her name by the way, won't make it."

"Are you afraid of having a disabled dog?" Turk asked, eyebrows bunched. He surely hoped that wasn't J.D.'s reason for being so bummed. It was just so wrong of someone to turn a dog away for something like that.

"No! That's not it!" J.D. burst. He pinched the bridge of his nose, reminding Turk eerily of Dr. Cox. "I just feel so bad for her, you know? Like… It's just not fair." Turk nodded. Of course. It wouldn't be J.D. if he wasn't worrying himself over the emotional state of a dog.

"Well, what kind of dog is she anyways?" He asked, trying to change the subject. He'd go find Elliot, or Carla later so J.D. could go all emotional realization on them. J.D. seemed fine with it anyways.

"She looks like a beagle." He said pulling himself up, and curling his knees under his chin. The A/C kicked in, rousing the disgusting smell of hospital coffee, disinfectant, and sick people. This did not help raise J.D.'s spirits.

"How much longer do you have until your shift is over?" Turk asked, glancing up at the white clock on the wall. He could hear the soft ticking which was rare since the TV was usually blaring some Soap Opera crap. Turk wondered if J.D. had gone Hulk on the interns and turned off the TV so he could think.

"Uh…." J.D. also looked at the clock. It took him a minute to decode the clock, and chuckled. "Actually, it's over. I must've dozed off longer than I thought." He stretched his arms over his head, and scratched the back of his neck. "What about you, Brown Bear?"

"My shift is over too, I was just gonna come talk to you before I left." Turk stood up. "But since we're both off, why don't we go see that puppy?" J.D. reached in the chest pocket of his scrubs, and felt for the piece of paper that had the clinic's number.

"Let me call first to see if they're still there." Turk handed him his cell phone.

"Meet me at my car. I'll go pick up our stuff." J.D. was already punching in the number, and gave a grunt. Turk rolled his eyes, and stalked off to the locker room.

The same overly cheery voice greeted him as before. "Hello, Furry Friends Clinic how may-,"

"It's me Jamie."

"Oh, hey J.D., good news. Speckle made it through a-ok. She's still a bit dazed from the anesthetics and she's a little confused about missing a leg, but she's doing perfectly." This time the happiness was genuine.

"That's great! D'you think I can come pick her up?" He asked excitedly, running his hand through his hair. He could hear Jamie's chair rolling around in the background.

"You can definitely come see her, but we don't feel comfortable releasing her just yet." J.D.'s eyebrows scrunched.

"Oh." Jamie sighed exasperatedly.

"Look, don't get me wrong. Yeah, she's doing great, and all but since you're a doctor I just highly doubt you can devote all your time to care for her right now. She's going to need comforting, training, and love right now. Can you honestly say you can do that?" J.D. didn't respond.

_She was right, and I knew it. I couldn't possibly take care of Speckle right now. I'd be gone for several hours at a time. I'd have irregular shifts, and I wouldn't have time to train her correctly. But I didn't want to give her away either. I'd already had my heart set on taking this dog home with me._

"I understand." He said bitterly. Again with the rolling.

"Good, so come down here when you can manage it and we'll set up some arrangements." J.D. found himself confused, and unable to say anything.

"What?"

"Yeah, Ellen decided we could help you take care of Speckle. We argued over it a bit, but I managed to convince her to make you pay rent. Whenever you have to work, just drop Speckle off on your way. And after your shift, just come pick her up." J.D. couldn't believe his luck.

"That's… That's so cool." He said foggily.

"Uh-huh. You might wanna sit down before you faint, Princess." Jamie snarked. J.D. laughed, and spun in place.

"Not a chance! I'll be there to see my girl in a bit. Laters!"

"Yeah whatever."

J.D. did a victory dance all the way down to the parking lot, where Turk was sitting in his convertible, tapping the steering wheel impatiently.

"There you are! What took you so long? And didn't we discuss our rule on white guys dancing in public?" J.D. sighed happily, and gracefully hopped over the door, and into the passenger seat. Turk blinked, obviously amazed. Something really good must've happened, because every other time J.D. tried to do that he ended up with his feet in the air, and his head under the dash.

"Speckle is recovering fabulously, and we are going to arrange for her to stay at the clinic when we have to work!" He giggled joyously. Turk pulled onto the street, and shook his head.

"That's great man. I hadn't even thought about how we would take care of her. She's not like Rowdy."

"You're gonna love her. And Ellen, the vet, she's pretty crazy. Not to mention Jamie, the receptionist slash veterinary assistant." J.D. went on to explain every detail about the clinic, and even retold his heroic story to Turk, who listened patiently. He was glad they would be bringing home another dog. He wasn't so sure how Carla would react to this news, but two against one right? And besides, who can resist cute puppy eyes?

They ambled up to the doors of Furry Friends, and pushed through the door.

"Hellooooo! How's my little girl doing?" J.D. asked brightly. A blonde girl behind the counter lifted her face off the desk and yawned. She swirled her chair to face the small window behind her.

"Ellen!" She croaked, throat stiff. Turk jumped, and looked around when he heard a couple crashes, and quite a few thuds from above. "Speck is doing great. She's still a bit woozy, but she actually started trying to walk a couple minutes ago according to George. You might be able to meet him." She coughed. She rubbed her dark rimmed eyes, and went over to rummage in the mini fridge.

"J.D. darling!" Ellen exclaimed, arms thrown up happily as though seeing an old friend, rather than some guy who had only brought a dog in earlier that morning. Her dangly gold earrings jingled cheerily. "I'm so glad you're here! You're little Speckle is doing just FAB!" She clicked over on her heels. "But about our arrangements. I was thinking ten bucks a day." Jamie coughed on her soda.

"Ellen, I thought we agreed to twenty!" She hacked. Ellen pushed her red lips into a pout, and waved a hand at her blonde assistant, who's face fell into a deadly grimace.

"Poo. George just adores the little thing, and so do I! I'm glad we get to take care of her!" She spotted some yogurt, and made a high pitched sort of happy noise, and snatched it. "I was looking for this earlier!" She took a bite, and closed her green shaded eyes. Jamie gave her a strained growl.

"Uh, well. Ten dollars sounds fine with me." J.D. peeped. The feuding females looked over to the guys, and both nodded at the same time.

"Excellent dear! Now then, who's this fine looking young man?" Ellen winked at Turk playfully.

"Whoa, whoa, I have a girlfriend!" Turk yelped. Ellen giggled.

"I have a husband." She took another bite of yogurt. "No matter though. What's your name sweetie?"

"Chris Turk. My friends call me Turk."

"Hello Turk, my name is Dr. Sanders. You may call me Ellen if you want." She extended her left hand, a diamond ring sparkling on her ring finger. Turk squeezed her hand, and nodded.

"C'mon, let's go see Speckle shall we?" Ellen turned quickly, her white lab coat swishing. J.D. felt a bit of déjà vu. Dr. Cox had done the same thing earlier.

The remaining three followed Dr. Sander's quick pace, though they would've been able to hear the loud clacking of her strappy heels from outside the clinic. She lead them out back, where J.D. recognized the wall of kennels. There was a few more animals, all of which either continued sleeping, or looked up with a dozy interest.

Ellen opened a door that was labeled 'Do Not Enter' and revealed a room that had a wooden staircase on the right wall, and some sort of living room off behind it that J.D. couldn't see too well. Ellen lead them up the stairs, humming 'I Can't Wait To Be King' from the Lion King.

"George! D'you have Speckle?" Ellen called as they reached the second floor. J.D. was surprised to find that it was a living quarters. A sitting room with a large couch and three recliners all faced a big screen TV. To the left was a kitchen that had a bar. The seat of the stools were saddles, and a door just to the right of the kitchen had a big sign that said 'Jamie's Room'. Another door on the wall to the right was covered in stickers and letters written in crayon.

_That must be Ellen's room._

"I have her," The sticker covered door opened, and out of it came a big guy wearing a red flannel shirt, blue jeans, and dirty work boots. He had a thick beard the same color as his dark hair, streaked with a few grays. "Hi there folks. I assume you two are Speckle's owners?"

At first the doctor and surgeon were so intimidated by this big hulking lumberjack of a man they could only shudder and shake. Ellen however had her hands clasped and was digging the toe of her shoe into the polished hardwood floor, looking at him in the manner that a woman would look at the man of her dreams.

Turk elbowed J.D. "Say something." He hissed. J.D. elbowed him back.

"No, you say something."

"You!"

"You!" George was looking at them expectantly. J.D. gulped, and looked over at Turk. Turk tilted his head, indicating J.D. to say something before the guy ripped them in half.

"Yeah, that's us." J.D. extending his hand shakily. "I'm J.D. and this is Turk." George beamed, and grabbed J.D.'s entire hand. J.D. expected shooting pain from his fingers being crushed, especially with his fingers all sliced up, but George's grip was gentle and soft.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Dr. Sanders, but I prefer George. The doctor thing is more for Ellen." Ellen giggled girlishly, and twisted one of her curls. "Anyways, Speckle has actually started getting the hang of walking on three legs. Watch," George looked back at the door, and pulled a fluffy, pink squeaky toy out of his pocket. He squeaked it a few times. "Here Speckle! C'mon girl!"

J.D. felt his heart leap into his throat. The little beagle pup came out lurching, and stumbling out, eagerly trying to get at the small toy. She yapped, her eyes twinkling brightly. It proved to be a bit to difficult to coordinate herself, and she fell. She was completely puzzled as she blinked at her missing leg. She squirmed to get up, still feeling awkward with a missing limb.

J.D. swiped a sleeve across his eyes quickly; unaware that Jamie's gaze was trained on his face.

* * *

**That was my attempt at a sentimental ending .**


End file.
